Whiskers of a Chance
by Tempeste O’Riley
M/M Contemporary Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Catt Ford
Release Date: September 30th, 2015 (ebook/print)
Length: Novel
Jason Grant runs his own IT business from home, owns his own home, and has the best friend he could imagine. What he doesn’t have, or believe he will ever have, is love. When Jason catches a glimpse of his new neighbor on moving day, his libido ignites and his fascination in piqued. He even manages to concoct an excuse to go over and meet the man who makes him hope and want for more than he has in years.
Keith Skyler is a shifter in a world where his kind is known to only a few, but they don’t often mix and they never mate. Keith has been hoping for a mate since before he can remember, but gay lynx don’t have true mates. As far as he knows, they don’t have mates at all. However, while moving his little family across Seattle—and away from their tribe—his reality tips and spins more than he thought possible.
When these two men meet over a dish of five-cheese broccoli-noodle casserole, sparks fly. Who knew a welcome to the neighborhood gift could give both of them their chance at love?
Keith Skyler is a shifter in a world where his kind is known to only a few, but they don’t often mix and they never mate. Keith has been hoping for a mate since before he can remember, but gay lynx don’t have true mates. As far as he knows, they don’t have mates at all. However, while moving his little family across Seattle—and away from their tribe—his reality tips and spins more than he thought possible.
When these two men meet over a dish of five-cheese broccoli-noodle casserole, sparks fly. Who knew a welcome to the neighborhood gift could give both of them their chance at love?
Keith is a lynx shifter with a difference – he is gay, and he doesn’t believe that he will ever find a mate, let alone his true mate. Jason (who is human) works from home and has a great best friend, but what he wishes for is that he could have someone who truly loved him.
Keith decides that to be happy, he needs to move away from both his father and his tribe, taking his sister Taylor and her son Zeke with him. This decision does not go down well with his father who repeatedly tells him that he should be married and producing children to continue the line.
As he moves into the house he will share with his sister, he scents a mate, but doesn’t know where he is. Pretty soon he realizes that his next door neighbor is who is scenting, and when they meet the fur really flies between the two….but in a good way! Neither can stay away from the other, it is like they are being drawn to each other.
When his sister moves in with him, Jason mistakes her for Keith’s wife, and is devastated. Keith wants to explain things straight away, but Taylor informs him that their father is coming to see the house, and they are both working to make sure that there is no trace of Jason’s scent left in the house, as they are not sure what their father would do. Eventually Keith goes to see Jason to explain, but when he gets there he scents a vampire….who turns out to be Jason’s best friend Sasha. Sasha and Jason both shift and are intent of fighting, both thinking that they are protecting Jason.
Jason is stunned to find out that Keith is a shifter and that Sasha is a vampire….. and he is terribly hurt that Sasha has never shared this part with him. He is also upset with Keith for not being honest with him about what he is, but once again the pull between the two men means that they cannot stay apart for long. Keith longs to claim Jason as his mate, in the way of the lynx shifters, but holds back.
Now starts the roller coaster ride that is the life of Keith and Jason. There is never a dull moment, and Keith and Sasha are trying to be friends for Jason’s sake, but it takes a hostile action against Jason while he and Sasha went to the movies one night, that makes it clear to Keith exactly who Sasha is, and to what lengths he will go to protect his best friend. Keith now has to decide how to proceed with things, as it seems that his father has found out that his mate is male, but this is not the way things are done in his father’s eyes.
I am not going to say what happens, but suffice to say I could not stop reading this book as I just needed to find out how Keith would manage to make things work – especially with his father continually cropping up and causing problems. I would have rated this book five stars, but some things about Jason left me wondering if he was actually human or if in fact he was a shifter too - little comments from Keith made me think this.
Keith decides that to be happy, he needs to move away from both his father and his tribe, taking his sister Taylor and her son Zeke with him. This decision does not go down well with his father who repeatedly tells him that he should be married and producing children to continue the line.
As he moves into the house he will share with his sister, he scents a mate, but doesn’t know where he is. Pretty soon he realizes that his next door neighbor is who is scenting, and when they meet the fur really flies between the two….but in a good way! Neither can stay away from the other, it is like they are being drawn to each other.
When his sister moves in with him, Jason mistakes her for Keith’s wife, and is devastated. Keith wants to explain things straight away, but Taylor informs him that their father is coming to see the house, and they are both working to make sure that there is no trace of Jason’s scent left in the house, as they are not sure what their father would do. Eventually Keith goes to see Jason to explain, but when he gets there he scents a vampire….who turns out to be Jason’s best friend Sasha. Sasha and Jason both shift and are intent of fighting, both thinking that they are protecting Jason.
Jason is stunned to find out that Keith is a shifter and that Sasha is a vampire….. and he is terribly hurt that Sasha has never shared this part with him. He is also upset with Keith for not being honest with him about what he is, but once again the pull between the two men means that they cannot stay apart for long. Keith longs to claim Jason as his mate, in the way of the lynx shifters, but holds back.
Now starts the roller coaster ride that is the life of Keith and Jason. There is never a dull moment, and Keith and Sasha are trying to be friends for Jason’s sake, but it takes a hostile action against Jason while he and Sasha went to the movies one night, that makes it clear to Keith exactly who Sasha is, and to what lengths he will go to protect his best friend. Keith now has to decide how to proceed with things, as it seems that his father has found out that his mate is male, but this is not the way things are done in his father’s eyes.
I am not going to say what happens, but suffice to say I could not stop reading this book as I just needed to find out how Keith would manage to make things work – especially with his father continually cropping up and causing problems. I would have rated this book five stars, but some things about Jason left me wondering if he was actually human or if in fact he was a shifter too - little comments from Keith made me think this.
“Jason?” Keith asked after a few minutes of lying there quietly, holding Jason around his waist.
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry,” Keith mumbled into his shoulder.
Sorry? “What for?”
“I’ve never lost control like that. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he continued. “Be still and I’ll clean you up.”
Jason lay there, trying to figure out what Keith was referring to, but his mind drew a blank. All he could think about was how wonderful and perfect being with Keith felt. When Keith returned with a warm cloth and a towel, he wiped the spend and lube off Jason from his navel to the top of his butt. He then produced another cloth and dabbed carefully along Jason’s hip.
“Ow!” Jason snapped and pulled away. Confused, he looked down and noted not only the marks he knew would be finger-shaped bruises shortly but also four puncture marks just above his hipbone. “What the hell?”
“I, um…. Be still and close your eyes for a moment,” Keith murmured, not meeting his gaze. “Please.”
Even with the evidence that Keith could, and had, hurt him, Jason still felt safe with Keith. He nodded and closed his eyes, unsure why he did so. He gasped a moment later when Keith’s tongue ran up his hip, slowly tracing the small cuts. Every time Keith licked him, he moaned as a flash of heat ran up and down his spine in a way he’d never felt before. The logical part of his brain wanted to push Keith away, knowing that human mouths and wounds didn’t mix; the rest of him told that part to shut the hell up and enjoy the moment.
“All better.” Keith’s voice was soft and tentative, which it hadn’t been since they’d met.
Jason opened his eyes and met Keith’s, again falling into the depths of the oceans within. “What?”
“I’ve waited for you, waited for so long to find someone like you, and when I do, I go off and hurt you the first time we’re together.” Keith whispered as if he were talking to himself, not Jason, which confused him even more.
“I don’t understand, Keith.”
“I know, just please believe me when I say it wasn’t intentional.”
Jason thought about it before he nodded. “It’s just a scratch, Keith. I’m the one who pushed you to be rougher. Now,” he added, looking around the room, “you think we could find a more comfortable place to cuddle than the floor?”
He didn’t want to move, but the cold tile wasn’t doing anything good for him. Keith helped Jason pull off the stubborn pants still clinging to one ankle. Jason then let out a yelp when Keith fluidly stood and proceeded to scoop him off the floor and carry him to the couch. Keith sat and pulled Jason between his thighs so Jason’s back rested against his chest and loosely wrapped his arms around Jason’s waist.
“Um, you have no drapes and we’re both still naked.”
“The only window with a view to where we’re sitting now is yours, so unless you have someone at home,” Keith rumbled, his tone turning possessive,“I don’t see the problem.”
Knowing Keith couldn’t see him, Jason smiled, pleased at the words and tone. “No, no one lives there but me. Not even a pet, unless you count my laptops,” he mumbled, post-sex lethargy claiming him quickly.
“Good—now rest, Jay. We can talk later.”
The last thing Jason felt and heard before sleep claimed him was Keith’s warmth and what he could have sworn was a cat purring.
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry,” Keith mumbled into his shoulder.
Sorry? “What for?”
“I’ve never lost control like that. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he continued. “Be still and I’ll clean you up.”
Jason lay there, trying to figure out what Keith was referring to, but his mind drew a blank. All he could think about was how wonderful and perfect being with Keith felt. When Keith returned with a warm cloth and a towel, he wiped the spend and lube off Jason from his navel to the top of his butt. He then produced another cloth and dabbed carefully along Jason’s hip.
“Ow!” Jason snapped and pulled away. Confused, he looked down and noted not only the marks he knew would be finger-shaped bruises shortly but also four puncture marks just above his hipbone. “What the hell?”
“I, um…. Be still and close your eyes for a moment,” Keith murmured, not meeting his gaze. “Please.”
Even with the evidence that Keith could, and had, hurt him, Jason still felt safe with Keith. He nodded and closed his eyes, unsure why he did so. He gasped a moment later when Keith’s tongue ran up his hip, slowly tracing the small cuts. Every time Keith licked him, he moaned as a flash of heat ran up and down his spine in a way he’d never felt before. The logical part of his brain wanted to push Keith away, knowing that human mouths and wounds didn’t mix; the rest of him told that part to shut the hell up and enjoy the moment.
“All better.” Keith’s voice was soft and tentative, which it hadn’t been since they’d met.
Jason opened his eyes and met Keith’s, again falling into the depths of the oceans within. “What?”
“I’ve waited for you, waited for so long to find someone like you, and when I do, I go off and hurt you the first time we’re together.” Keith whispered as if he were talking to himself, not Jason, which confused him even more.
“I don’t understand, Keith.”
“I know, just please believe me when I say it wasn’t intentional.”
Jason thought about it before he nodded. “It’s just a scratch, Keith. I’m the one who pushed you to be rougher. Now,” he added, looking around the room, “you think we could find a more comfortable place to cuddle than the floor?”
He didn’t want to move, but the cold tile wasn’t doing anything good for him. Keith helped Jason pull off the stubborn pants still clinging to one ankle. Jason then let out a yelp when Keith fluidly stood and proceeded to scoop him off the floor and carry him to the couch. Keith sat and pulled Jason between his thighs so Jason’s back rested against his chest and loosely wrapped his arms around Jason’s waist.
“Um, you have no drapes and we’re both still naked.”
“The only window with a view to where we’re sitting now is yours, so unless you have someone at home,” Keith rumbled, his tone turning possessive,“I don’t see the problem.”
Knowing Keith couldn’t see him, Jason smiled, pleased at the words and tone. “No, no one lives there but me. Not even a pet, unless you count my laptops,” he mumbled, post-sex lethargy claiming him quickly.
“Good—now rest, Jay. We can talk later.”
The last thing Jason felt and heard before sleep claimed him was Keith’s warmth and what he could have sworn was a cat purring.
Other Books by Tempeste:
♥ Designs of Desire ♥ Bound by Desire ♥ Desires’ Guardian ♥ Temptations of Desire ♥ Truth in Lace ♥
♥ ♥ Grand Adventures ♥ Hope & Love ♥ Caged Sanctuary ♥ ♥
♥ ♥ Grand Adventures ♥ Hope & Love ♥ Caged Sanctuary ♥ ♥
Tempeste O’Riley is an out and proud pansexual genderfluid whose best friend growing up had the courage to do what she couldn’t–defy the hate and come out. He has been her hero ever since.
Tempe is a hopeless romantic that loves strong relationships and happily-ever-afters. Though new to writing M/M, she has done many things in her life, though writing has always drawn her back–no matter what else life has thrown her way. She counts her friends, family, and Muse as her greatest blessings in life. She lives in Wisconsin with her children, reading, writing, and enjoying life.
Tempe is also a proud PAN member of Romance Writers of America®, Rainbow Romance Writers, and WisRWA. Learn more about Tempeste and her writing at http://tempesteoriley.com.
Tempe is a hopeless romantic that loves strong relationships and happily-ever-afters. Though new to writing M/M, she has done many things in her life, though writing has always drawn her back–no matter what else life has thrown her way. She counts her friends, family, and Muse as her greatest blessings in life. She lives in Wisconsin with her children, reading, writing, and enjoying life.
Tempe is also a proud PAN member of Romance Writers of America®, Rainbow Romance Writers, and WisRWA. Learn more about Tempeste and her writing at http://tempesteoriley.com.
